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Optical modulation is a crucial operation in photonics for network data processing with the aim to overcome information bottleneck in terms of speed, energy consumption, dispersion and cross-talking from conventional electronic interconnection approach. However, due to the weak interactions between photons, a facile physical approach is required to efficiently manipulate photon-photon interactions. Herein, we demonstrate that transparent glass ceramics containing LaF3: Tm3+ (Er3+) nanocrystals can enable fast-slow optical modulation of blue/green up-conversion fluorescence upon two-step excitation of two-wavelengths at telecom windows (0.8-1.8 μm). We show an optical modulation of more than 1500% (800%) of the green (blue) up-conversion fluorescence intensity, and fast response of 280 μs (367 μs) as well as slow response of 5.82 ms (618 μs) in the green (blue) up-conversion fluorescence signal, respectively. The success of manipulating laser at telecom windows for fast-slow optical modulation from rear-earth single-doped glass ceramics may find application in all-optical fiber telecommunication areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth doped mid-infrared (MIR) fluorescent sources have been widely investigated due to their various potential applications in the fields of communication, chemical detecting, medical surgery and so forth. However, with emission wavelength extended to MIR, multiphonon relaxation process that strongly quenched the MIR emission is one of the greatest challenges for such practical applications. In our design, we have described a controllable gas-aided annealing strategy to modulate the phase, crystal size, morphology and fluorescent performance of a material simultaneously. Uniform and monodispersed Er3+-doped La2O2S and La2O2SO4 nanocrystals with a similar lattice structure, crystallinity, diameter and morphology have been introduced to investigate the impact of multiphonon relaxation on luminescence performance. Detailed spectroscopic evolutions in the region of MIR, near-infrared (NIR), visible upconversion (UC) and their corresponding decay times provide insight investigation into the fluorescent mechanism caused by multiphonon relaxation. A possible energy transfer model has also been established. Our results present direct observation and mechanistic investigation of fluorescent evolution in multiphonon relaxation process, which is conductive to design MIR fluorescent materials in the future. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first investigation on MIR fluorescent performance of La2O2S nanocrystals, which may find various applications in many photoelectronic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent Er 3+ -doped germanotellurite glass ceramics (GCs) with variable Te/Ge ratio were prepared by controllable heat-treated process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) confirmed the formation of nanocrystals in glass matrix. Raman spectra were used to investigate the evolution of glass structure and photon energy. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were introduced to characterize the change of hydroxyl group (OH - ) content. Enhanced 2.7 μm emission was achieved from Er 3+ -doped GCs upon excitation with a 980 nm laser diode (LD), and the influence of GeO 2 concentration and heat-treated temperature on the spectroscopic properties were also discussed in detail. It is found that the present Er 3+ -doped GC possesses large stimulated emission cross section at around 2.7 μm (0.85 × 10 -20  cm 2 ). The advantageous spectroscopic characteristics suggest that the obtained GC may be a promising material for mid-infrared fiber lasers.

Rare earth doped mid-infrared (MIR) fluorescent sources have been widely investigated due to their various potential applications in the fields of communication, chemical detecting, medical surgery and so forth. However, with emission wavelength extended to MIR, multiphonon relaxation process that strongly quenched the MIR emission is one of the greatest challenges for such practical applications. In our design, we have described a controllable gas-aided annealing strategy to modulate the phase, crystal size, morphology and fluorescent performance of a material simultaneously. Uniform and monodispersed Er 3+ -doped La 2 O 2 S and La 2 O 2 SO 4 nanocrystals with a similar lattice structure, crystallinity, diameter and morphology have been introduced to investigate the impact of multiphonon relaxation on luminescence performance. Detailed spectroscopic evolutions in the region of MIR, near-infrared (NIR), visible upconversion (UC) and their corresponding decay times provide insight investigation into the fluorescent mechanism caused by multiphonon relaxation. A possible energy transfer model has also been established. Our results present direct observation and mechanistic investigation of fluorescent evolution in multiphonon relaxation process, which is conductive to design MIR fluorescent materials in the future. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first investigation on MIR fluorescent performance of La 2 O 2 S nanocrystals, which may find various applications in many photoelectronic fields.